Mode Hair
If you haven’t heard about the current MODE trend in Gal, then check out Mitsu’s amazing
introduction, or pick up the current issue of Happie Nuts which features Emoda’s Ena Matsumoto.
I really love the look and idea of Mode, because it’s a more sophisticated and stylish kind of Gal without being too boring or old – even if Mode is aimed at the older Gal. By this I mean that whilst chic is always great, I don’t want to look like I’m going to the office (blouses and pencil skirts etc.) or too old for my time whilst I’m still a university student.
Anyway, Mitsu also posted a wonderful hair tutorial to Ena’s Mode style bun. I loved the look of it and thought it could be a more stylised alternative to my usual messy top bun. When I mentioned this she said how she would like to see my version as my hair is the polar opposite to hers – long and thin.
Please excuse the bad webcam pics. I didn’t have any make-up on so I didn’t want to show my ugly half-awake/half-asleep face.
An example of the length of my hair/how thin my hair is.
I was really shocked when I put my hair up into the ponytail because it was so thin. I thought it was getting thicker, but I guess it’s going to take longer D:
My take on the ‘Mode bun’
I should mention that this was rather rushed. It took me about 20mins and I did it as soon as I had woken up. This was because of an impromptu visit to the beach so I was in a bit of a rush to get everything together and get ready. However no more excuses, I plan to have another go next time I want to carry off the Mode look.
I found it very hard to get this style right as my hair is so thin and long.
I found rolling my hair under to be slightly challenging as it was so long, but I managed.
My second dilemma was down to how thin my hair was. Even after back-combing I found that my hair could have been thicker to make it work better. This was probably because it didn’t really have the volume/thickness that Ena and Mitsu managed. Maybe this was due to my lack of time or maybe this style just isn’t meant for those with thin hair. Even so I do want to try it again – maybe using a thickening shampoo just before – as I really liked the overall look of it. I felt as though I looked more like my age, then when I do a messy top bun…don’t ask me how that makes any sense but I have trouble with people always thinking I’m younger than I am haha
I thought my version was too messy to start with, but then I saw the original picture of Ena and I didn’t feel so bad because it seemed that was the look she was going for, albeit with a more sleek outfit than mine ;D
So this style, whilst difficult, is still a winner for me.
Skin Care
In the last few weeks leading up to the end of last term (at uni) I found myself going out to lots of restaurants, comedy clubs (eating food such as nachos etc.) and takeaways with friends. Whilst I enjoyed this immensely I am now suffering from the consequences. My skin and body are at a low. The weight/toning-up post will come later but for now I want to talk about skin.
Thanks to the wonders of the female body (hello PMS) and too much junk food, my skin broke out. This probably isn’t a big deal for most people, but my skin has always been relatively spot free and smooth. So you can understand that this got me down a little bit. Therefore I started eating healthier and I tried out a few skin care products to battle the blemish.
Please note that I have sensitive skin so I don’t usually use spot fighting scrubs/facial moisturisers.
1.
Deep Action Facial Scrub – I usually buy this as it is really effective. It can be used as a daily wash or as a mask. But for some reason the bottles always tend to break on me. I wanted to buy it again this time but they didn’t have any so I went for…
2.
Tea Tree & Peppermint Cleanser/Toner – I have used Tea Tree before and I know it can have brilliant effects on your hair but I haven’t used it on my skin before. Unfortunately this just made my skin break out even more. I don’t know if this was because my skin disagreed with the product or if it would have done it anyway. I stopped using it as I didn’t find it any help at all D:
3.
Deep Action Daily Exfoliating Wash – I thought this may have been the first product I know and love, but re branded so I bought it…but it wasn’t. It had a different feel to it and I couldn’t use it as a mask like the first one. However it did start to clear my skin up, but after using it daily – as it is supposed to be used – I found my skin drying up, and not just a little bit. It caused my skin to flake and it left my face feeling rough and dry. Definitely the worst out of the two.
4.
Savlon – What? An antiseptic cream?! It may sound ridiculous but when I told my boyfriends mum how I had dry skin and spots she recommended me this – if anyone is interested she did also give me some Clinique moisturiser but it didn’t work anywhere near as good as this. I never knew you could use it for spots but apparently you can (the website mentions it too), and it works wonders. The majority of the blemishes are gone and my skin feels normal again.
It really makes me wonder why I spend all my money on skin care products when something so simple and universal can help. As you can see I like Superdrug’s range of skin products but after this I think I will either stick to the Savlon when I have a break-out or choose something more natural like The Body Shop’s products.
Do you have any odd cures for blemishes or strange skin care routines?
